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Herramadur t1_j656rkf wrote

I have honestly never heard of this show, and its on season 7!

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TapedeckNinja t1_j65egat wrote

It's a good background/diversion show if you're into the "guy goes all over the world and eats awesome food" shtick.

Phil himself is kind of annoying IMO, but it works for the show. He has this totally unabashed enthusiasm and joy for good food so the people who cook for him seem to really get a kick out of it.

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supermans_crystal t1_j6679wa wrote

He makes the show for me, I appreciate how genuine he is about everything. Yeah he's a little dorky but I think it's charming.

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TapedeckNinja t1_j668466 wrote

Right that's what I mean. He's a dude I think I would find extremely annoying in large doses in real life, but it works for his show.

I like the show a lot, have seen every episode and most of them multiple times. It's one of my go-tos when I'm in the gym.

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idontlikeflamingos t1_j69w1ea wrote

Yeah it's the kind of show I can't binge because Phil gets on my nerves on high doses, but it's perfect to watch an episode here or there because it's just a goofy guy having a blast eating food in different places.

It's one of those "comfort watch" kind of shows

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ldnk t1_j66l1j1 wrote

I find him amusing but it's mostly because I know what he's doing isn't an act. He's legitimately that upbeat all the time so it's just see it as lighthearted

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l3reezer t1_j68m4c2 wrote

Larry made fun of him on Curb and he played himself so you have to assume he's a good sport and self-aware lol

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Scott2700 t1_j65f9bh wrote

Yea I find him annoying too. Really wish Bourdain was still around. RIP

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matterhorn1 t1_j66iq8o wrote

That’s exactly how I would describe the show! I find him annoying but he’s so nice and that it’s hard to dislike him.

I watch it for the interesting foods and places. I want to travel to quite a few places I’ve seen on this show, and many are places that I’d never have had any interest in before.

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walt3rwH1ter t1_j684w9c wrote

Totally agree. I have it on in the background while working on weekends. And I also don’t think I love Phil himself, but I’ve seen every episode

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mackinoncougars t1_j67bugg wrote

I started watching it this year. It’s a fun little binge. He’s a warm hearted weirdo, easy to watch. I like a lot of the food he picks out, it’s food that makes a city famous and food the locals love. Plus a handful of mild celebrities pop up, plenty of chefs, as some history along the way.

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RawrRawr83 t1_j6c28bi wrote

I did until I tried some of these places and they were largely not good. So I feel deceived

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cathbadh t1_j68hdxe wrote

It's the alternate universe version of Bourdain's shows where the host is wholesome

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nimcau2TheQuickening t1_j68s7p1 wrote

This is the only thing my parents ever watch, over and over again. They “don’t have enough time” to watch dozens of shows I’ve recommended over the years but will kill every entire evening watching this.

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faceintheblue t1_j665uc7 wrote

There is a lot of criticism in this thread. I'll say it's a very pleasant show to watch with your significant other at the end of a long day. You feel like you're going on a nice little vacation with a super-positive person who just wants you to have a good time. Is it Bourdain? No, and I for one am happy it doesn't try to be. Let the man have this amazing chapter of his life and bring his family and us along for the ride. There isn't one episode where I feel he ever wasted my time.

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mackinoncougars t1_j67c0i8 wrote

He’s got some golden retriever energy and once you accept Phil is a bundle of positivity it makes it so much easier to view his quirks.

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USeaMoose t1_j66gj9s wrote

Maybe I should give it another try.

I'm not here to dump on the guy, but I did try watching it once years ago, and found him pretty annoying. And at the time I think I was not a fan of how it was structured? But I might be misremembering that.

In theory I'm the target audience. I like food shows. Competition, travel, documentary, instructional, comedy. But for whatever the reasons were, I dropped this one very quickly.

It lasting this long makes me think that maybe I missed something? Or maybe people are tuning in for different reasons than motivate me. If the draw is just "hanging out with friendly Phil", it may just not be made for me.

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jelatinman t1_j66m6o9 wrote

Phil is polarizing but I did find myself gradually warming up to him. Really it’s a light show with pretty scenery and bougie restaurants, with some truly heartwarming moments occasionally (like his love for his Down syndrome afflicted cousin). I’m shocked that Netflix hasn’t stopped making it - while it’s cheaper than many shows, this type of travelogue is only popular on E/I television in the US or travel channel reruns.

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BruceChameleon t1_j687zpd wrote

It might not be. For me the draw is definitely "nice guy goes around appreciating the world", plus I get to see beautiful food in 4k. Phil is a cozy show just as much as a travel/food show.

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BananasAndPears t1_j68shvf wrote

Dunno man, I felt the Oaxaca episode was pretty meh. It just didn’t seem like he liked being there and they ate the same tacos made by different people like 3 times. That one was a yawner imho.

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kjopcha t1_j6661ei wrote

This thread breaks my heart! I can't believe so many of you don't like Phil. For a talented multimillionaire, he seems pretty normal to me. Plus, he calls his parents every week, which is the sign of a good person in my book.

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solojer123 t1_j66rp6v wrote

Unfortunately, both his parents have passed away, so he no longer call them. He calls celebrity friends at the end of each episode instead now.

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quietly41 t1_j66rhai wrote

Phil can be a little much for some people. On one end of the spectrum is Phil, the other end is Larry David.

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jeskimo t1_j67g18v wrote

I didn't like it at first, but was too lazy to change it. Phil is just who he is, which is refreshing actually. That is Phil and believe me, they feed him.

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Yossarian1138 t1_j67oqf5 wrote

I don’t think anyone here dislikes him at all. It’s just that his energy isn’t for everyone.

While I appreciate positivity, I also don’t trust someone that likes everything. Nobody likes everyone they meet, everywhere they go, or everything they eat. So I find it hard to be interested in a show where he likes everything because I feel like I don’t learn anything.

That was really the genius of Bourdain. You felt like you were a little wiser or a little more experienced with the world because some stuff was awesome and some stuff sucked, and sometimes the people sucked, but there was always some beauty or redeeming quality to it.

Phil, to me, doesn’t have any of that depth, and it also isn’t particularly funny. It is wholesome and amusing and a good guy on a good show, but kind of milquetoast in the genre to a lot of people.

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ryancementhead t1_j68pq2l wrote

At first I didn’t really liked the show, I thought he was overacting. But as I continued I realized he’s just a human golden retriever and he is genuinely that happy and excited. Now it’s my favourite show.

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glumjonsnow t1_j6e2qvl wrote

I know! It's a little sad that so many complaints boil down to "he's too nice." Like yeah, that's his vibe. It's a good thing for people to be nice!!

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2KZJ t1_j66nvy5 wrote

Anyone who's watched "Everybody Loves Raymond" has watched Phil before. He created the show and was a writer for it. It's loosely based on his family.

His Mom and Dad are often the funniest part of the show, sadly they've both passed. Yeah he's a little much sometimes, but if I ever ran into him, I'd love to talk with him.

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Oppossum12321 t1_j6578uv wrote

How is this on 7 seasons and I've never even heard of it?

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matterhorn1 t1_j66iyzw wrote

If you’ve watched any food shows on Netflix then they likely would have been showing up on your recommendations. If you haven’t then they probably don’t think you’d be interested in it

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TwoCats_OneMan t1_j68tlcn wrote

I liked the episode where he was going to have sushi with Larry David, but backed out because Larry was wearing a MAGA hat.

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Yummie23 t1_j67in5w wrote

In these troubled times, this show is a welcome ray of light. Just found Phil man kind of man, the way he treat everyone the way he wants to be treated is a lost art.

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luckylebron t1_j67os33 wrote

Once I got passedbthe quirky expressions he makes, I learned how to appreciate his warmth and style. Plus I live overseas and I miss genuine New Yorkers- reminds me of my old neighborhood in Ridgewood, Queens.

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surf-actant t1_j65z9je wrote

I wish it were more authentic. You don't learn anything about the regional culture or inspirations. IMHO, such a transparent plug for whoever kisses @ss best, whoever has the most persistent pr person, and or wherever Phil wants a free meal.

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eych_enn t1_j666c74 wrote

Agreed. I tried to watch the Vietnam ep and he starts off by saying he has to go to the one person he trusts on Viet food - another white dude.

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gochugang78 t1_j66cymh wrote

Agree. Absolutely hate it when the “expert” isn’t a local but an ex-pat, and often white/privileged

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ty_jax t1_j681wt9 wrote

my indian parents kinda love this show. so I l can't hate on it

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UghKakis t1_j65aflp wrote

I’m fine with the show but he needs to stop that huge every smile after taking one bite of something

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JesusCabrita t1_j68kawf wrote

Is it a Netflix original? Season 7 must be a record for Netflix

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jimflaigle t1_j694ghc wrote

I had to go on a crash diet last year to get my blood pressure down to a sane number, and I've been avoiding travel shows because they always have tons of food I would desperately prefer to salad. Have the recent episodes held up?

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xOLDBHOYx t1_j6aivmm wrote

Love this guy. Went to quite a bit of places he went to in Chiang Mai, Thailand for Khao Soi and also his stops in New Orleans and Portland, OR

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RealCoolDad t1_j6bg718 wrote

Phil is great, I love his show, it encourages me to travel, but I definitely get upset that my travels don’t involve so many personal tours and meals.

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ConstableGrey t1_j6axltm wrote

You know the travel/food documentary space is saturated when the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond has his own show.

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LifeIsADistraction t1_j67pias wrote

This guy made our restaurant so busy but he’s so cocking annoying I just don’t get it.

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smallpages t1_j65avb0 wrote

Not sure how it’s made it 7 seasons. I had to turn it off after like 20 minutes.

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Stupidstuff1001 t1_j65bozg wrote

Can’t stand him. But I know lots of people who love him. To me he is just so off putting and uncomfortable in how he acts.

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Bright_Beat_5981 t1_j65mmgm wrote

I think the fact that he is a bit unfomfortable how he acts bring a nerv to the show. He pushes people a bit.

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Stupidstuff1001 t1_j65q0qd wrote

Yea. I totally understand how some people enjoy the show. Just personally I cringe in how he acts. To each their own though.

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thetyler83 t1_j66kdo0 wrote

This is the first I've heard of it. I'm assuming it's not about Bam Margera's dad?

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reddig33 t1_j65bugb wrote

Cheap reality program renewed for seven seasons. Meanwhile interesting stuff gets canceled.

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TapedeckNinja t1_j65er81 wrote

Have you watched it?

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drinkallthepunch t1_j68g39s wrote

They’re not wrong.

There’s a lot of other shows we would all rather have.

Even the reasonable comments admit that it’s just a material filler show.

Can we not be so conceited?

Is it really that rage inducing that someone can call out a subpar show that somehow hasn’t been canceled?

Phil even hints multiple times that his brother has connections and that’s the only reason the show took off in the first place.

Otherwise it might never had been.

And Phil is a rich dude, the whole basis of the show is kind of out of touch with the times.

Dudes just traveling around blowing thousands of dollars so we can watch him eat food we will never be able to afford to travel and eat.

It’s just another form of wealth showcasing.

How many people do you know who could just go out and do what Phil does as a life hobby?

He’s retired and he’s not even senior yet.

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eduzueck t1_j69c216 wrote

It’s not really subpar if people enjoy watching it, not everyone shares your opinion about what “we’d all rather have” and some of us like a casual warm show of a guy eating food.

It’s also probably cheap as hell to produce.

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drinkallthepunch t1_j69dff3 wrote

Dudes got a whole camera crew are you high?

If they are paying livable wages it should be in the ballpark of $200k budget.

At least…….

Equipment, lodging, plane tickets, passports, guides, FOOD…..? Oh yeah and wages?

Can we have Sense8 or Daredevil back?

Show is subpar, to say the least.

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eduzueck t1_j69vmp1 wrote

I mean, yeah, not saying you can make it with a couple bucks but still like probably 1/10th of the budget for a show like Sense8, which guess what, people didn’t watch and couldn’t justify its budget.

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RawrRawr83 t1_j6c2n42 wrote

Actually 2% the budget if $200k is the accurate number

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RawrRawr83 t1_j6c2lmd wrote

Uh.. so if you google, Sense8 cost $9 million per episode. So if you calculate the cost per view.. yea

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Stink_Snake t1_j69t63x wrote

> Phil even hints multiple times that his brother has connections and that’s the only reason the show took off in the first place.

Phil was the executive producer/writer for Everybody Loves Raymond. He has his plenty of his own connections.

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reddig33 t1_j66fad3 wrote

If I had, would that change the fact that this is cheap reality programming? Or that better shows on Netflix have been canceled?

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matterhorn1 t1_j66m48c wrote

It’s not about better or worse, it’s about how many people are watching it. Cheaper shows will get renewed easier because they would need less views for Netflix to consider them as successful.

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TapedeckNinja t1_j66iitk wrote

How do you know what shows are "better" than something you've never seen?

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USeaMoose t1_j66i2yh wrote

I'm not familiar with this show, so I can't speak to its quality (I tried to watch some of it several years ago and quickly moved on).

But that aside... Of course Netflix is going to renew a dozen shows with tiny budgets before they renew a single show with a huge budget. That's not a cynical take it's just reality. The higher your budget, the better you have to perform. In Netflix HQ they were not deciding between keeping "Somebody Feed Phil" and "1899".

"1899" cost over $60 million. "Somebody Feed Phil" is 90% Phil's salary and I doubt the guy worth hundreds of millions is asking for all that much to be paid to eat and travel. Not to mention it was a show he ran on PBS originally, then went to pitch to Netflix after it got canceled. I doubt he is asking for much more than a PBS-sized salary. He is basically retired and enjoys this.

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matterhorn1 t1_j66jux4 wrote

I’d probably do it for free if it was me. Travel the world and way great food? Yes please!

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